


Stray

by Spectascopes



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Depression, Eventual Romance, Fluff and Angst, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Mental Health Issues, NO DEATH, Other, Reader Is Not Frisk (Undertale), Reader is Nonbinary, Rehabilitation, Self-Harm, Therapy, Trans Character, Transphobia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-05
Updated: 2019-10-24
Packaged: 2020-04-08 12:00:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19106668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spectascopes/pseuds/Spectascopes
Summary: Sans finds you on a bridge, in the middle of the night. He isn't stupid- he knows why you're there.You've never been friends with a monster before, let alone lived in one's house. Maybe they really are nice enough to take in a stray like you, no strings attached.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> so here we are... baby's first /reader fic. Swap Sans is my weakness, I must say, so this is kind of a personal fic for me >w> I don't know how long it'll end up being! Mind the tags, it's a bit of a heavy one.
> 
> Find me on tumblr @ [theperfecta](https://theperfecta.tumblr.com/) to send asks, look at my awful taste in memes, etc etc

Sans prided himself on being smooth. He could make friends just about anywhere he went- on his morning jog, while teaching, pretty much anywhere he went he knew what to say, when to say it, and how to act.

When he found you, though… things weren’t so simple.

Papyrus was gone for the night- over at Undyne’s house, no doubt, being socially inept with his best friend. Sans was taking a night time walk- sure, not the safest practice, but they were on the surface! He couldn’t pass up an opportunity at the stars while leisurely strolling the dimly lit country roads.

They were indeed surface-dwellers now. Chara had succeeded in releasing the monsters from their underground prison… and that had been five years ago. Now Sans worked at Ms. Toriel’s school, teaching monsters and humans alike about magic and how it worked. His brother, when not getting high or smoking a cigarette, worked at Muffet's new restaurant, where he washed dishes and did all the things that  _ didn’t _ require a lot of monster or human interaction. Papyrus had always been a little awkward, though his soul was in the right place and he was the most patient, laid back monster in the world! When his anxiety was held at bay, of course. 

Sans hummed to himself as he walked, staring up at the stars and the passing cars as they drove by. He wondered about what each and every driver’s life was like- did they have a family? A wife? A significant other of any kind? Did they have pets? Sans idly pondered these things as he came upon a bridge.

That’s also when he came upon you.

You were human, standing there by the edge, arms crossed over yourself as you stared down at the fifty foot drop. Sans reached out and grabbed the railing and paused. You hadn’t seen him yet- you were just… staring. Down, far down, all the way to the bottom. But this was the surface! Everything was wonderful here, there was no way you could be… there wasn’t a chance you were thinking about…

It was only when you braced yourself to climb over the railing that Sans lurched forward.

“H-Hey!” he called, panic gripping his soul. You jerked, head spinning to look at the little monster, and you stopped trying to climb.

“Hey, uh… it isn’t very safe over there,” Sans said as he hurried over, just to be sure you wouldn’t move too quickly for him to stop you.

You said nothing. Your eyes were cast down, but no longer at the great fall below. Now you hugged yourself tight and eyed the unpaved road, throwing uncertain glances over at the skeleton.

“Are you cold? You look like you could use a jacket,” Sans tried, feeling nervous and more than a little melancholy. 

“I’m fine,” you croaked. Sans peered forward, squinting a little bit, and saw that you had a black eye, amongst other bruises on your face. You had nothing with you except a backpack, which was sitting on the pavement. As Sans looked down at it, you were quick to pick it up and heft it onto your back.

“Are you… are you okay?” Sans asked gently, reaching out a hand to touch your shoulder. You jerked away and stared at him, cyan eye-lights meeting your more squishy, human-colored, wide eyes.

“Sorry, sorry!” Sans said at once, taking a step back, but not too far. “What’s your name?”

You didn’t say anything. One of your hands rubbed up the opposite arm, as though trying to will some heat into it. You gave Sans the most pitiful look the monster had ever seen.

“Okay, uhm… is your car nearby? I could walk you to it, if you’d like!”

“I don’t have one…” you said, voice hoarse. 

“Oh… well, what about your house?”

“I…” you sniffled, and Sans only then noticed the tears that were quickly welling in your eyes. Before you could continue, they spilled over, and you were quick to wipe them away. “I don’t… have one,” you said again.

“Oh…” 

The two of you stood there in silence for a while. Sans wanted nothing more than to take you, wrap you up in a blanket, and give you somewhere warm to stay…

He realized very quickly that he could offer just that.

“My name is Sans, by the way,” he started, “and if you don’t have anywhere to stay for the night… you’re more than welcome to accompany me back to my house! We have a spare bedroom- ‘we’ being my brother and I- and I would… I would really like it if you would not be on this bridge anymore?”

You made a sad little noise. It took Sans a moment to realize you were laughing, an awful, pathetic laugh.

“I’m sorry,” you said, laughter forgotten, as you openly cried. “I’m… ugh.”

“It’s okay! Really, there’s nothing to be sorry about, but it would make me feel much, much better if you’d come back home with me… I know some healing magic, I could take a look at those bruises if you’d like.”

You winced at the mention of them, but then you turned and looked at Sans, really looked at him, for the first time. He stared back. A moment passed, and then the human nodded.

“Y-Yeah… yeah, okay. Okay.”

Sans gave you a smile- the happiest one he could muster in the situation- and led you back the way he’d came.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> more of this hell yeah
> 
> got a poll up on tumblr right now about updating older fics and which ones i should consider revisiting [HERE](https://theperfecta.tumblr.com/post/185557877399/fanfic-poll)

You followed the skeleton home. You didn’t know why- but, you thought, it wasn’t like you had anywhere else to go. So what if he decided to hurt you, or kill you? That’s what you’d been trying to do to yourself… maybe a sane person wouldn’t follow the tiny thing, alone, back to his abode, but… you weren’t a sane person, not now.

Sans, you recalled his name, led you in silence most of the way. That was probably for the best, because you were actively tearing up the whole walk, which lasted about ten minutes.

“So this is my house, it’s nothing much, but my brother and I live here,” he said. His voice was cheery and oddly comforting, and his short, meager stature did nothing to add intimidation to his list of abilities. Neither did his clothes- he was wearing a hoodie with a galaxy pattern and a faded blue bandanna. You didn’t know much about monsters, but this one seemed nice.

You nodded as you realized he was waiting for you to respond in some way. His big, wide eye sockets had little stars in them, which you thought was cute. They glowed softly, a light blue color. 

Sans nodded back. “Well, follow me! Let’s get you inside where it’s warm- it’s pretty chilly out here, I wouldn’t want you to catch a cold,” he said, motioning for you to follow. The house was nice- a little house situated a bit off the country road, with a dependable car out front and a little garden by the little porch. Little seemed to be this monster’s thing, you thought.

The skeleton ushered you inside first. You hugged yourself but you wouldn’t deny that you were freezing. The warmth that hit you as you entered made you sigh a little- god that felt good. 

The inside was just as quaint as the outside. Everything was kept neat and tidy- big, comfy furniture and lots of pictures and decorations adorned the place. You stared at it, wondering if the skeleton was going to kill you now that he’d lured you back. 

You hated to admit that you kind of hoped he would.

Instead, Sans hurried past you and into the kitchen, kicking off his sneakers. “Come in, please, make yourself at home! I haven’t had a chance to clean today, so don’t mind the mess.”

That almost made you smile. What mess? Other than a couple of cups on the coffee table, the place was spotless.

“Would you like some tea? We have an assortment of it,” Sans called from the kitchen as you stood in the middle of the central area right inside the doorway. It was a big living room area, with a comfy couch and a big flat screen TV. One way lead off to the kitchen, and the other side had a flight of stairs going up to the second floor.

“Uhm… yeah,” you said lamely, following him into the kitchen.

He was on top of a step stool, tip-toed, reaching up into a cupboard to get the teas out. You wondered idly how a skeleton could have a butt, though you felt awkward giving it any thought, so you pushed the thought away for later.

“What kind? My personal favorite is honey-vanilla chamomile, the superior breed as far as teas go, but we also have raspberry, black, green, earl grey, jasmine…” he listed them off as he rifled through the cupboard.

“Chamomile is fine,” you assured.

“Ah! So you’re a smart human,” he said, looking down at you to give you a wink. One of his fingers was raised, and you gasped as you realized he was floating the box of tea bags down to the counter as he stepped off the stool.

He noticed, of course, and grinned. “Do you know much about monsters and magic?”

“No… how are you doing that?” you asked.

“Magic, of course!” he said, spinning the box through the air. “Blue magic. I can control the gravity of small objects! Cool, right?”

“Woah…” you breathed, general unease and sadness forgotten for a split second as you watched this foreign skeleton twirl a box of tea around the kitchen.

Sans was smiling ear- well… cheekbone to cheekbone. “Humans can be so easy to impress- no offense, of course.”

“Oh, uh… yeah, sorry,” you said, shutting your mouth. His eyes got a little sad and he stopped smiling.

“Oh, shoot, I didn’t mean it like that! There’s nothing to be sorry about!”

You said nothing, just held yourself, the motion making you feel just a tad safer.

“Okay… well, how about you have a seat on one of the bar stools and I’ll make your tea- I’m sure you’re very tired.”

You nodded. Distantly you thought about how he could be trying to drug you, but… you didn’t really care. You took a seat at the little kitchen island and watched as he filled the kettle with water.

“My friend Toriel has fire magic,” Sans chattered,” and it’s so fun to watch her heat a kettle with her bare paws! But, alas, I have to use the stove.”

You didn’t reply, feeling self conscious and unsure. Sans didn’t seem to mind, he hummed to himself as the water heated and he busied himself other places, wiping down counters and rinsing out cups to be put in the dishwasher. 

“Oh!” he exclaimed, turning to you. “I almost forgot- I know I’ve mentioned my brother a few times now, so I thought I’d let you know that he won’t be home tonight. He’s staying at his friend’s place. His name is Papyrus, though!”

You nodded. 

“I’d let you have his bedroom for the night, but I wouldn’t force a soul to stay in that pig sty,” Sans went on, going back to his cleaning. “The couch is very comfortable, so if you don’t mind too much I can get you a pillow and blanket and you can sleep there!”

“That’s fine, thank you,” you said. He was just… so easy-going and friendly, it was hard to imagine this monster had any ill-will towards you. You opened your mouth to say more, but just then the kettle decided to start screaming.

Sans was quick to pour you a cup and pop the tea bag in, setting it in front of you before going to grab the sugar and a spoon to give you as well. You thanked him softly. He poured himself a mug as well, popping his bag in and swishing it around with his spoon.

Neither of you said anything for a while. You waited for your tea to steep.

“So, uhm… what’s your name, by the way?” Sans asked.

You told him.

“That’s a nice name,” he said with a smile, but it was gone soon enough. “I just wanted you to know… I mean, you’re welcome to stay here as long as you need to, but if you wanted to talk about anything, I’m here.” His eyelights were shining a little brighter. You stared for a moment.

“You barely know me…” you said eventually, quietly, squeezing your mug a little tighter and looking away.

“Well! That’s true,” he relented. “But! The offer still stands, either now or a week from now, however long you decide you’d like to stay with us. And of course, it goes without saying, if you ever need to go anywhere, Papyrus or myself can give you a ride, I wouldn’t expect you to walk. We're not going to force you to stay against your will!”

You didn’t really know what to say to any of that. 

“I… uhm,” you mumbled awkwardly. “I… can I think about all this?”

Sans straightened up a bit. “Of course! Sorry, I got a little carried away there… of course you can think about it, take all the time you need. If you do end up staying here with us, or if you want to go somewhere else, that’s completely fine either way. I just want you to stay safe.”

You looked him in his big, caring eyes for just a moment before looking away again and nodding meekly. 

“Well, I’ll leave you to your tea! The bathroom is the first door on the right upstairs- us skeletons hardly ever use it aside from a quick shower, but it’s fully stocked and functioning. I’ll bring some bedding down for the couch, is there anything else I can get for you before I retire for the night?”

You shook your head. Sans smiled. 

“Okay! Well… goodnight, then!”

You watched him leave the kitchen, tea in hand, giving you a little wave as he turned the corner and disappeared. 

You didn’t know what in the world you’d done to deserve this.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i forgot i had this chapter sitting around, i wrote this like two or three weeks ago! oops!

You woke the following morning to a door being shut and somebody unfamiliar calling out: “Bro, I’m home!”

You started, jerking awake at the loud, deep, yet mellow voice that had sounded. You had oriented yourself to be facing the front door as much as possible, so all you had to do was sit up before you saw another skeleton, this one  _ much _ taller than Sans, wearing a ratty old orange hoodie and cargo shorts. The two of you met eyes- well, yours eyes met his sockets- and he immediately looked confused.

Before he could question anything, Sans burst in from the kitchen, wearing a little flowery pink apron, and shooed his brother away from you, though he hadn’t been close to begin with.

“Papyrus! I texted you not to barge in here like a bull, we have company!”

“Sorry, I didn’t… get the message,” he said, still looking over at you. You drew the blanket up to cover yourself. You’d slept in your clothes- you hadn’t had time to bring luxuries like pajamas.

Sans introduced you. “And this is my little brother, Papyrus,” he finished. “I’m sorry he woke you- I was trying to be as quiet as possible, but  _ some  _ skeleton obviously doesn’t check his  _ phone _ enough.” He gave Papyrus a pointed stare.

“Guilty as charged,” Papyrus said with a shrug of his shoulders as he shoved his hands into his hoodie pockets. “So, uh… whatcha cookin’, broski?”

“Eggs and bacon!” Sans turned to you with a smile. “I’m assuming you’re hungry- you didn’t eat last night. If you’re vegetarian or vegan we have other options-”

“No, uhm… eggs are fine, thank you,” you said at once, not wanting to impose. Besides, eggs did sound damn good right about now- you were starving.

Sans nodded and gave Papyrus another good-natured slap on the shoulder. “You smell like marijuana, go take a shower,” he said, “I’ll wash your clothes later.”

“I can wash them myself, I ain’t a babybones,” he argued, but without missing a beat he went up the stairs and into the bathroom.

You got up off of the couch hesitantly. Papyrus didn’t seem any meaner than his brother, but he was… imposing. He had to be over six feet tall, and his voice wasn’t quite as chipper. So you decided to stick close to Sans. You headed into the kitchen where Sans had disappeared again and found him cooking some eggs and toasting some things.

“So… he’s your  _ little _ brother?” you asked softly, trying your hardest to be pleasant while in these strange monster’s company.

Sans, who cracked an egg into a frying pan with one hand, turned to you for just a moment to grin. “He is indeed! I’m twenty five, Papyrus is only twenty one. Though I know where the confusion comes from- we get that a lot. It can be hard to gauge skeletons.”

“I’ve never really met any monsters at all so… I’m going in blind,” you said. 

Sans nodded as he flipped the egg. Sunny side up, it seemed. “That’s fair. There aren’t a lot of us compared to you humans- for every hundred of you there’s only one of us! Are you new to the area? Most of us monsters settled near Mount Ebott after we were freed, so we’re concentrated here.”

“My uhm… parents…” you trailed off for a moment to compose yourself, sitting down on a barstool. The shock of the situation had worn off as you had laid awake last night and cried, so you felt… a little numb, which was better, in an odd way. You continued: “my parents moved us here a couple months ago.”

“Oh… I see.” Sans stared down at the egg for a moment before glancing over at you. “I don’t mean to pry, but… I thought humans typically lived with their parents for quite a while. How old are you?”

“Twenty three,” you said gently. “I was living with them, uhm… till they found out I was, uhm, you know… trans…?”

You braced yourself. You’d thought about it last night, you knew you had to tell him, and you prayed that he wouldn’t kick you out as well, you didn’t know anything about monsters-

“Oh. Oh, I’m so sorry,” he said, staring down sadly at his eggs as he flipped one onto a plate. “Us monsters, we don’t really have a gender binary, much less discrimination based on it, so… the concept is a little foreign to me. I apologize if I misstep in this conversation. Your parents told you you couldn’t live with them anymore?” he asked, looking at you.

You nodded, tears starting to prick your eyes. “Uhm... uhm, yeah, that’s… what happened…”

“Those bruises…” Sans began, but you shook your head to stop him as the tears fell over.

“Y-Yeah,” you choked out, “those are… those are- from them, too…”

Sans made a sad noise before setting down his spatula and coming over to put a hand on your shoulder, but he stopped before his bones made contact.

“Is this alright? I’d very much like to give you a hug right now, but I won’t if you’re uncomfortable with it.”

You shook your head and held out your arms. Sans took you in his and held you tight, and god, it felt… good. It made you feel safe to be held, even if it was by this little skeleton you hardly knew. You didn’t realize how badly you needed this until Sans went to pull away and you held him tighter, a broken little whine escaping before you could stop it.

“I’ve got you, no worries,” he said, running a hand along the back of your head. “Hugs are my specialty- I’ve been told I’m very squishy.”

“You are,” you cried, not even bothering to give a shit about how pathetic you probably sounded. What did it matter? Honestly, you'd been planning to kill yourself last night, who the hell cared if you were a little whiny?

Eventually, after what felt like a long time, Sans detached himself from you. He rested his hand on your shoulder, and you were surprised to find tears in his eyes as well, though he was quick to brush them away.

“I want to be honest with you- I would really like it if you stayed here, at least for a few more days. My brother and I would be so happy to have you.” His eyes, those big starry sockets, were shining bright.

You nodded. “Yeah… yeah, I mean… yeah. I don’t have anywhere else to be.” You wiped some of your tears away.

“I’m going to go continue with breakfast, will you be alright?” he questioned.

“Yeah… yeah.”

“Okay,” he said with a smile. “What sort of toast would you like? We have white and wheat.”

“White, please.” You felt a little awkward to have broken down so readily into this stranger’s arms, but at the same time...

He gave you a thumbs up and a corny wink. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woah hey again more of this
> 
> warning: suicidal thoughts/transphobia/generally triggering content

Sans didn’t leave you alone for more than half an hour for the rest of the morning, and honestly, you were glad for it. He’d pop out for a minute to grab something, or wash some clothes, or do the dishes, or make food, but he’d always come back and keep you company on the couch. 

“And this is Papyrus when he was just a babybones! Four, to be exact- wasn’t he just the cutest?”

You smiled a little bit at the baby pictures Sans had insisted on showing you. Day one and you already got to see a naked skeleton baby running around in nothing but too-big rain boots. 

Sans hummed as he continued to look at the pictures, a warm smile on his face. It was weird seeing a skeleton with such a… a squishy complexion, but you questioned it not- these were monsters, anyways, it wasn’t like he was a  _ real _ skeleton… you hoped. 

Sans said your name, and you were drawn for your moment of thought. You looked over at him.

“I don’t want to pry, but… can I ask you what pronouns you use?” he inquired, completely innocently.

You flushed. “Uhm… I really only use they and them, if that’s… uh, if that’s okay…”

“Of course it’s okay!” Sans said with another bright, happy smile. “There are plenty of monsters out there who only use they/them pronouns- some because of their spectrum of gender, others completely by choice, no matter the reason it’s all totally valid!”

You nodded, feeling a little bittersweet that this skeleton could so readily accept you but your parents… you shook yourself. 

“Uhm… so do monsters stay with their parents…?” you asked, hoping it wasn’t too awkward of a question.

“Most do!” Sans said happily, taking no offense. “Papyrus and I grew up in a town underground called Hotland, with our adoptive father, Grillby! He runs a nightclub in town- but he’s a little, ah…” Sans rubbed his neck. He was wearing a faded blue bandana. “He can be a handful. He’s a wonderful father, of course! But Rus didn’t do well living above a club, with the noise and all, so he and I live out here!”

“Where do you guys work, if… if it’s okay to ask,” you went on.

Sans smiled. “Papyrus works at his friend Muffet’s bakery, and I’m actually a teacher! I work at my friend Toriel’s school for humans and monsters, I give magic lessons and educate those who want to learn.” Sans gave you a wink. “Maybe you’d like to attend?”

You actually perked up. You waited a moment for him to say “psych” but… he just looked at you.

“Are you being serious?”

“I am!” Sans said happily. “All ages are welcome- we have a few older students there, they have their own classes and lectures!”

Your excitement died a little as your mind caught up with the idea. “I, uhm… I’d love to, but… I don’t have any money…”

“Oh, no worries on that front! It’s free- Toriel runs the school as a nonprofit organization so that those attending need not pay a cent!”

You blinked at his big starry eyes.

He raised a finger. “You think about it, okay? In the meantime, how would you feel about coming with Papyrus and I to shop a little?”

You frowned. “I mean, I’ll tag along, but I don’t… have any money…”

Sans’s smile softened. “Don’t worry, I understand your move was… less than ideal. I can spare some money to get you the necessities!”

“I can’t...”

“You can!” Sans said, reaching over and putting a hand on your shoulder. “I want to help.”

You looked away from him and his open emotions. 

“I don’t understand why, though.”

It was Sans’s turn to frown. “I wouldn’t be a very good monster if I didn’t,” he said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“I… I mean, you’re kind of going above and beyond…” you pointed out, glancing over at him. “Most people would have just driven me to a shelter or something…”

“Do you want to go there? If you’re uncomfortable here-”

“No, that’s not what I mean,” you huffed, sitting back on the couch. “You’re being too nice to me, and I don’t have any way to repay you.”

Sans sighed. There was silence for a few moments before you felt him lean back as well.

“How about we give it a few days?” he asked eventually, turning his skull to look you in the eyes. “I’m more than happy to take you to a shelter, if that’s where you want to go, but… I just think, maybe, you know… it’d be better here? I don’t expect you to repay me in any way, neither does Papyrus. He has his own mental health demons, he knows things can be very challenging at times.”

You didn’t say much in response. 

“I know everything is… a lot. And I know you’re in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar monsters, so I understand things are probably overwhelming right now. So how about you stay here for a few days, try to figure out what you’d like to do… get your feet under you, at least a little bit. Does that sound like a plan?”

You nodded. He smiled- a bright, truly happy smile.

“Wonderful! Then how about you go get ready and we can run to the store- do you need any clothes?”

“I have a spare change,” you said. He nodded and finally closed the book in his lap, setting it on the coffee table.

“I’m going to make sure that lazybones brother of mine is actually out of bed and not napping the weekend away- let me know when you’re ready to go!”

You nodded and got up to find your backpack with your things.

 

The store was only a few minutes away, in the town at the base of Mount Ebott where you lived (with a couple of skeletons now, apparently.) Sans drove, Papyrus in the passenger seat beside him, you in the back. The car was neat and tidy save for the travel mug of coffee that the tall skeleton had brought.

He was so different from his brother, you were shocked they were related. 

“Papyrus, have you properly introduced yourself?” Sans asked as he drove, eyes glued to the road, though he did glance at you in the rearview mirror every now and then.

“I mean, they know my name is Papyrus, what else is there to say?” he said, turning around in his seat to look at you with a lazy smile. “Didn’t know we were being interrogated.”

“I don’t know, say something about yourself!” Sans went on. “Like an ice-breaker!”

“God, what is this, high school?”

“I’ll start,” Sans said, ignoring his brother’s groan as he slumped back into his seat. “I’m Comic Sans Fontaine, and I’m a skeleton!”

“Really? That’s your ice breaker?” Papyrus complained.

“Yes, it is. Your turn!” he said as he smiled. 

“Ugh. I’m Papyrus, uh…” he shoved his hands into his orange hoodie. “I smoke weed?”

“Papyrus!”

You actually giggled at that, enjoying the banter.

“Well, he’s not wrong,” Sans admitted with a sigh. “Why don’t you go, human?”

“Oh, uhm…” you introduced yourself, “and I… like to paint…?”

“I’ve always wanted to try painting,” Sans said thoughtfully.

“We should get some while we’re out,” Papyrus said, “cause I do too. Don’t know shit about it though, maybe you can teach us?” he asked, looking back at you again.

You blushed. “I-I mean, I’m not that good… it’s just a hobby…”

“No matter!” Sans dismissed. “You’re undoubtedly better than either of us, and learning together can be fun! That is, if you’re up for it. It’s totally fine if you aren’t!”

“No, no, I think that’d be fun,” you admitted. “So, could you like… paint with your magic? Like, control the brush with it?”

“We sure could,” Papyrus replied. “Might be a little messy, me ‘n my bros blue magic ain’t as dexterous as our hands.”

“It certainly isn’t.”

“But I’m down to try,” Papyrus said with a shrug. “Might be fun. Good excuse to use it, at least.”

“An exercise in magical creativity!” 

You smiled at the two of them. Before long, the store came into view- just a generic Walmart-type store, something local it seemed. 

Watching Sans and Papyrus was entertaining. They went around, Papyrus piloting the cart, Sans stopping him from throwing everything he saw into it. The three of you passed a display with some fall decor, and the taller monster immediately cooed and picked up a tiny little pumpkin.

“Bro we gotta get this,” he said.

“Absolutely not. You know we have fall decorations at home! It’s only early September!”

“But it’s so cute,” Papyrus argued, holding the pumpkin up to his skull to compare. “C’mon… it’s only a dollar… we could put it on the stand with your coffee maker…”

You didn’t think a skeleton could, quote on quote, flutter their eyelashes, but Papyrus managed something quite similar, a puppy dog look on his face.

Sans looked back to you with a ‘can you believe this guy’ expression, but he sighed and waved his hands. 

“Fine! Fine fine fine, we can get the pumpkin.”

“Oh hell yeah,” Papyrus said with a grin.

Sans turned back to you, who watched it all with an idle smile. “So what do you need? Shampoo? Clothes?”

“Yeah… I have, like, a toothbrush and toothpaste… a couple changes of clothes…” you admitted, looking at the floor. “I should probably get some soap and shampoo.”

“Hair must be a hassle,” Papyrus remarked, but the two were setting off for the personal hygiene section already. You followed.

“It is. Sometimes I wish I was bald,” you said.

“Oh, but you humans have found some interesting things to do with your hair! I see some people with blue hair, or pink hair, or hair that’s asymmetrical… it’s all so interesting!” Sans tapped his finger against the top of his skull. “Us skeletons can’t really do much on that front…”

“You could get wigs,” you said, smiling at the thought. 

Papyrus laughed, hands shoved into his hoodie pocket as he no doubt pictured it as well. Sans let out a giggle.

“My pal Undyne has hair- she always keeps it up in a ponytail, though,” the younger brother said as you traipsed your way through the store. “It’s bright red- no dye needed.”

“And Ms. Tori is covered in the stuff, being a goat monster!” Sans chipped in. “She must go through a lot of shampoo.”

“Oh god, I can imagine,” you said, finding yourself slipping pretty easily into the conversation. Your mood was significantly better today- it was nice to forget about everything for a while. The lingering thought of ‘this isn’t going to last’ kept entering your brain, but you dutifully chased it away. So what if it didn’t last? You were okay. Just for a little while, it was okay to be okay. When things for bad again, the bridge was always there.

You picked out some basic hygiene products, making sure to buy the cheapest money could get you. Shampoo, deodorant, soap, the works. Sans kept picking things up and asking if you needed them- conditioner, dry shampoo, spray on deodorant, hair gel, everything. You said no, of course. He seemed enthralled by the products.

“I’ve never been in this section before!” he admitted, looking over a can of hairspray. 

“Yeah, not like we have any reason to come here,” Papyrus said as he, too, bent down to read the label on a bottle of shampoo. 

The majority of the visit went fairly smoothly. You got some food items, per their request, but mostly just things to keep you clean and not stinky. 

Things were okay. You liked hanging out with the skeletons, even if they were practically strangers. 

Everything came crashing down and you were reminded how bad things were when one of your cousins walked by as you guarded the cart while Sans and Papyrus went to pick out some milk. 

You saw her and you cast your eyes downward at once, hoping she didn’t stop, hoping she  _ did _ stop, hoping word of your coming out hadn’t reached her, or that maybe she… would understand?

You saw her feet in front of you and you had to look up. 

“That was an awful thing to do to your parents,” she berated. “Do you know how hard it is to kick out your own kid? I hope you’re happy with yourself.”

You said nothing. She stood a moment longer as you started to cry and the dark feeling crept back in, surrounding you, suffocating you-

There was a hand on your shoulder. You looked up to see Sans.

“Heya, ma’am,” the Papyrus greeted in a scathing voice. 

“Can we help you?” Sans asked.

Your cousin took a step back as Papyrus loomed over her, not in a threatening way but certainly not in a  _ friendly _ stance, either.

“No… no you can’t,” she eventually said to Sans, and turned tail and left. 

You sobbed a little, hugging yourself. You were a horrible child, weren’t you? This was your fault- you’d hurt your parents for no good reason- if was  _ your _ fault they’d kicked you out- that they’d-

“Hey,” Sans said gently, hand squeezing your shoulder. “You okay?”

You shook your head. 

“Okay. Let’s go check out and we can get going, okay? Maybe get some ice cream on the way home?” He was staring at you with big, concerned eyes. Papyrus watched after your cousin as she briskly walked back up the aisle she’d came down. 

You nodded.

The drive home wasn’t the fun, banter-filled ride it had been on the way there. You did stop and get ice cream, and it did make you feel just a little bit better, but they you just felt worse that you’d made Sans spend money on you again. You cried, strangled little noises escaping you as to not alert the skeletons to how bad you were. It was to no avail.

They got you home, unloaded the groceries, and settled you on the couch. Sans sat beside you, and Papyrus beside him. 

“I’m so sorry that happened,” Sans finally said. “If I’d realized…”

“It’s not your fault,” you sniffled, trying to stop your tears. “I’m sorry…”

“There’s nothing to be sorry for,” Papyrus interjected. “That fuckin’ sucked, man. Who was that?”

“My cousin,” you admitted. “I guess…” another sniffle, “I guess my parents got the word around already…”

“Jeez,” Papyrus breathed. 

Sans said your name, and it drew your attention from your tears. 

“I just want you to know that… whatever happened between you and your parents, whatever  _ you  _ did, there is no earthly excuse for them to do what they did to you. None.”

You curled up against the arm of the couch, pressing your face into the fabric and hoping it absorbed some of the tears.

“God, I’m homeless,” you said, the reality of it finally sinking in. “I can’t g-go back- I can’t see my parents- I...I…”

“Shh… I know… this is an awful situation,” Sans said. “Is it alright if I give you a hug?”

You nodded and sat back up, practically throwing yourself into the monster’s bony embrace. 

You cried into his shoulder, squeezing his ribs as you sobbed. 

“There, there, I’m here. It isn’t much, but you can stay with us- I know it isn’t a replacement for your home, but… you’re safe here,” he said. You weren’t used to these open displays of emotions, so you just cried and hugged him that much tighter.

“Yeah, man,” Papyrus added, sounding more unsure than his brother but equally as concerned. “Don’t you worry ‘bout a thing, you’re welcome to stay with us skeletons as long as you like. Couch is always open.”

You nodded into Sans’s shoulder. He rubbed your back, and as horrible as you felt in the moment, the action made you feel that much better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> come find me on tumblr @theperfecta   
> i post bad memes and other bullshit, but i love talking to people thru asks and messages!


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